


Loneliness

by unspeakable3



Series: welcome to the most noble and ancient house of black [60]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Black Family-centric (Harry Potter), Brothers, Dysfunctional Family, Ficlet, Ficlet Collection, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Little Brothers, POV Regulus Black, Regulus Black Deserves Better, Regulus Black Feels, Regulus Black-centric, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Walburga Black's A+ Parenting, Wordcount: 100-500
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 21:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20749193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unspeakable3/pseuds/unspeakable3
Summary: Sirius would never know that if Regulus could choose a brother he would choose Sirius, even though he knew that Sirius would choose another.





	Loneliness

He didn’t think he had ever experienced loneliness quite like that which he felt the night after Sirius had abandoned him.

It had taken until dinner time for Mother to realise what had happened — Sirius was good at keeping out of her way, but not even he would have dared to skip their _family _mealtime. Regulus had watched, terrified, from across the hallway as Mother had stormed up the stairs with her wand in one hand and skirts bunched up in the other and blasted Sirius’s bedroom door open.

Regulus was sure that the muggle neighbours could have heard her screams even with their home’s extensive protective enchantments as she tore Sirius’s bedroom apart in an attempt to find him. But he wasn’t in the bed or under it, he wasn’t in the wardrobe or under the desk or perched on the windowsill and he wasn’t in his trunk because his trunk wasn’t there.

“_WHERE IS HE?_” she yelled, spinning in a whirl of black taffeta to face her youngest son. “_WHERE IS THAT TRAITOROUS SCUM OF A BOY WHO DARES CALL HIMSELF BLACK?_”

“I— I don’t know,” Regulus stammered. “He— he left, last night… he left.”

It was a shame that Sirius would never know the lengths Regulus had gone to to ensure he would have enough time to reach the Potters safely. Would never understand how difficult it was for Regulus to lie to their mother, despite everything she had done. Would never know that the hexes and curses and abuse she normally reserved for Sirius, were, in her rage, turned to the younger brother he had always vowed to protect.

It’s what brothers did, but Sirius would never know how close Regulus held that brotherly bond to his heart. Sirius would never know that if Regulus could choose a brother he would choose Sirius, even though he knew that Sirius would choose (in fact, had chosen) another.

And now a summer storm raged within the house and instead of escaping to the warmth of his brother’s bed Regulus fled to the rooftop. He would only ever sit here alone, now.

His bloodied fingers reached for the loose tile and found the packet of cigarettes Sirius had always kept there. Regulus lit one and brought it to his cracked and bruised lips as he pretended he couldn’t hear his mother’s continued wailing; pretended he was anywhere but here.


End file.
